This invention relates generally to drying shoes, and more particularly to drying shoes in a conventional automatic clothes dryer.
Automatic clothes dryers generally include a stationary frame and outer casing, and a dryer drum within the casing which rotates relative to the stationary frame. The inner surface of the dryer drum defines a drying chamber in which clothes are placed for drying. As the dryer drum rotates, heated air enters the drying chamber to effect heating of the clothes. Vanes extending inward toward the center of the drying chamber are attached to the inner surface of the dryer drum to create a tumbling action of the clothes within the drying chamber. The rotating action of the dryer drum causes the vanes to carry the clothes upward along the inner surface of the dryer drum until the clothes fall.
Many types of shoes, particularly athletic and casual wear shoes, are capable of being dried in such a clothes dryer. It is also known to place common household articles other than clothing in a dryer, such as cloth toys, stuffed animals, baseball caps and the like. The problem with placing shoes or other bulky objects loosely in a dryer is that they are typically heavier than the clothes placed in the dryer. Thus, shoes are repeatedly thrown against the vanes and inner surface of the dryer drum as the drum rotates during operation. This can result in damage to the vanes and inner surface of the dryer drum.
To solve this problem, it is known to provide devices which prevent shoes from tumbling loosely within a dryer. One such device includes a mesh, nylon bag which straps onto the inner surface of the dryer door. When the dryer door is closed, the bag is held to the inner surface of the door, such that shoes placed within the bag are exposed to the heat within the drying chamber without rotating along with the dryer drum. This device is inefficient for drying shoes because it remains stationary relative to the rotating dryer drum. Moving clothes and shoes within the drying chamber circulates the heated air around the clothes to hasten drying. When the shoes remain stationary, as in this device, the advantages associated with moving the shoes within the drying chamber are lost, and thus a longer than necessary drying time is required.
It is also known to provide a device which connects the shoe to the inner surface of the dryer drum as the dryer drum rotates. These devices generally a connector to mount device on the inner surface of the dryer drum, and a means for fastening the shoe(s) within the device. For example, the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,016 (Grigsby) includes a rectangular shaded platform to which a shoe is fastened by a pair of straps. The platform is seated on top of a rigid channel containing magnets. The rigid channel engages the inner surface of the dryer drum to hold the shoe during drying.
One disadvantage of this device is that the platform does not fit flush against the inner surface of the dryer drum, leaving the possibility that other clothes tumbling within the dryer may get wedged between the platform and the inner surface of the drum, or the possibility that the device may be pulled away from the inner surface of the drum. Also, the channel connecting the platform to the inner surface of the dryer drum is substantially more narrow than the platform. The device is thus unstable and may roll from side-to-side, causing the platform to impact the dryer drum and potentially separate the device from the inner surface of the dryer drum. Another disadvantage is that because the channel is much narrower than the sole of the shoe, the magnets supporting the weight of the shoe must be relatively thick and heavy. This further increases the possibility of damage to the dryer drum if the device breaks loose from the inner surface of the drum during operation.
Another device, described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,734 (Carver), uses a pair of separated rigid magnets mounted on the inner surface of the dryer drum. A strap spanning the pair of magnets is attached at each end to a respective magnet. Shoes are placed directly against the inner surface of the dryer drum between the pair of magnets, and the strap is placed over the shoes to hold the shoes against the inner surface of the dryer drum during operation. A disadvantage associated with this device is that clothes tumbling within the dryer may become wedged between the shoes and the strap because the strap does not fit tightly around the shoes. This may result in the clothes not being effectively dried, or even result in the shoes being pulled loose from between the magnets or the magnets being pulled loose from the inner surface of the dryer drum. Additionally, to fully support the weight of the shoes, the magnets must be relatively thick and heavy. This increases the possibility of damage to the inner surface of the dryer drum if the magnets should break loose. Another disadvantage of this device is that it requires two separate pieces. One of the pieces may be lost or misplaced, rendering the other piece inoperable and useless.
There is a need, therefore, for a single-piece device capable of mounting one or more shoes to the inner surface of a dryer drum which will not inhibit the tumbling of loose articles within the drying chamber, which will reduce the possibility of the shoes or the device breaking loose from the inner surface of the dryer drum, which will reduce the possibility of damage to the inner surface of the dryer drum and which will provide a less expensive and more efficient device for drying shoes within a dryer.